Street-signal for cars.



N. e. AUGIR. STREET SIGNAL FOR GARS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE, 1907.

Patented Sept. 29, 1.908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N. G. AUGIR. STREET SIGNAL PoR GARS.

APPLICATION `FILED JUNE 28,-1907. 999,499.

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l IIS-l UNITED sTATns PATENT. omen.

NEwELL e; AUGI'R, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. i

STREET-SIGNAL FOR` CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed Tune-28,` 19071 Serial No. 381,188.

' improved apparatus for lvisually signaling ing drawing forms a part, in which the sepor indicating to" passengers within. the names or numbers of cross streets or avenues which cross the line ofthe tramway, or the street in which the,tramway is located, as the car approaches such cross streets or/y avenues.

In the accompanying drawing, `I have shown my improvement ap lied to what is known as an overhead tro ey system and the invention is fully disclosed in the follow` ing specification, of which the accompanyf arate parts of iny improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in Which;-

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of one end of a car providedwith my improved signal w device or apparatus and showing a art of a trolley wire and a 4hanger suspen ed from one of the supports of the wire and adapted-v to operate my improved signal device or ap, pai'atus; Fig. 2 a sectional side View of the signal device or apparatus detached from the car but showing the same in' the same psition as in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a sectional plan view of the signal device or apparatus as shown in Fig. 2; Fig; 4 a view similar to Fig. .2 but showing the signal device or a paratus reversed; Fig. 5 a sectional en view of l a spring roller which I employ; Fig. 6 a sectional side viewv of-said roller and showing other arts connected therewith. In t ie drawing forming part of this specification, I have shown my improvement 4aprplied to what is known as an overhead trolley tramway system and at a I have shown one end portion of a car provided with the usual projecting hood a2, platform a3 and'dash )oai-d a4, and in the practice of my invenv tion, I secure in the end of the car, over the hood (1,2, a box or case l) which contains the .principal part or parts of my improved signal device or apparatus. The box or 'case b is provided in its inner end, 'as shown 1n Fig. 2,

with an .opening b2 preferably closed by la- ,transparent panel b3 and the outer'end of the box or ,case b is preferably provided with an upwardly directed .extension b4. which is open at the top and shown in said figure.

Mounted in the opposite end portions of the case b are two spring drums or rollers c and d, andfthese springdrums or rollers are made in a manner somewhat similar to what is known as the Hartshorn' window vshade, roller, and the spring .drum or roller d is rshown in Figs. 5 and 6, but said spring drums or'rollers c and d, except for the difference hereinafter pointed Aout are of the same construction, and a detail or sectional view of the spring drum or roller .c is not given. Eachy of the rollers c and d comprises, in tlieconstruction thereof, a central body portion d2 and an vouter drum-shapedportion d3, and

the central body portion al2 is provided with end shafts d4 which may consist, yif desired,

of a single Ishaft passed 4longitudinally Jthrough the central body portion d2, ,and the' end shafts dfare passed through the ends of the outer drum-shaped portion d3, and wound on the central body portion d2 is a spiral spring,

d5 one end of which'is. secured `to the central bodyportion d2 and the other to the outer drum-shaped portion d3. or. roller c is provided with end disks e and f, and the end disk f is provided with a central sleeve f2, and said sleeve is provided with a rigid pulley f 3. The spring drum or roller d The s ring drum f is ,provided at one end with a disk g, and ad I jacent to the opposite end is another disk 71 and the disk g corresponds with the end disk e of the spring drum or roller c, andthe disk h ofthev spring drum or roller d is inde endent of said drum or roller and rotatab e on lthe shaft d4 thereof and provided with a rigid sleeve h2 having a rigid pulley h3, and thepulleys f3 and h3 'are geared in connection by a belt h4 or in any` desired manner. The end disk h of the spring drum or roller d is also provided with aplurality of pins h5 arranged in a circle on the outer side thereof and near the perimeter thereof, and the end 'disk g of the spring drum' or roller d is provided on tlie'outer side thereof with pins g2 -arrangedin a circlethereon near the perimeter thereof, and said disk g is also provided with a plurality of teeth g3,six of which are shown, and the teeth g3as shown are s aced equally with the pins g?. The end'dis i e of the spring drum or roller c is provided 'with pins e2 on the. outer side thereof 4and arranged in a circle thereon near the perimeter thereof, and said disk is also providedwithl a4 plurality of teeth le3 similar in form and number to the teeth g3, and the pins e2 are arranged similar to the pins g2, and the pins.

e2 and g2 in the construction shown equal in number the teeth e3 andl g3. The springs d2 in the spring drums or rollers c and d are wound in opposite directions, or so that they exert their force4 in opposite directions as inf dicated by. the arrows w and x2 in Fig. 2, and wound on said s ring drums orrollers is a flexible stri lor slieet i of any preferred material on w ich are printed, painted, or otherwiser laced, the numbers ofy the `cross streets a ong the linel of the tramway as indicated in Fig. 3. The box or case b is provided with a transverse sup ort i2 having upright members i3 provide nected by a horizontal lin ja, and the pawl i2 is adapted to operate in connection with the teeth g3 of the spring drum or roller d, and

the pawl j is adaplted to operate in connection with the teet e3 of the spring drum or roller c, and connected centrally with the link j3 is a cord c the opposite end portions k2 and 7c3 of which are passed over pulleys or rollers 7c* at the opposite sides of the supports 4o and passed downwardly through the bottom of the box or case b and provided with handles les and 7c, and by means of the op osite end portions k2 and k3 of the cord the pawls j and 3'2 may be swung into dierentV positions so that the pawl y' will operate in connection with the teeth e3 of the drum or roller e, or the pawl i2 will operate iny connection with the teeth g3 of the drum or roller d, and in Fig. 3 of the drawinfy the said pawls are shown in this last named position.

Pivoted in the side portion of the top part b4 of the box or-.case b over the end disk g of the s ring drum' or roller d is -a lever m provide at its lower end with a pawl or pivoted member 'm2 adapted to operate in connection with the pins g2 of the disk g, and the pawl or pivoted member m2 may swing freely in one direction, but the end of the lever m is prolever m,`and provided at its lower end with a videdwith a stop mslwhich prevents it from swinging in the opposite direction.

Pivoted in the side top port'on b4 of the box or case b and near the outer endof said box 'or case b and over the end disk h of the drum or roller d is a lever n similar to the pawl or pivoted member n2 similar to the pivoted member 'm2 of the lever m and adapted to operate in connection with the pins h on the disk 71J and said pawl is free to swing in one direction but the movement of which inthe other direction is limited by a sto n? on the lower end of said lever.

n arm ois pivoted to the case b adjacent to the lower inner vside of the spring drum or roller c and just outside of the end disk e thereof, and saidarm is provided with a bottom extension o2 `having a pivoted stop o3, the lower end of which is weighted as shown at o, whereby said pivotal sto is always held in the vertical position an thevarm o always bears on one of the pins e2 on the end disk e of thespring drum or roller c, and the pins e2 onsaid disk are also adapted to operate on the upper end of the stop o3.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown at p a trolley wire, and, in ractice, I connect with the supports p2 t ereof, but one of which is shown, hangers p3 having flexible supports p4 and ada ted to o erate the levers mand rn., and it will be un erstood that, in practice, the hangers p3 are placed adjacent to or between each ofthe cross streets indicated by name or number on the strip or sheet t, and the operation will be as follows. The levers lml and a are provided at their upper ends with heads 'm4 anda, and if the car one of the hangers p3 will strike the head 'm4 of the` lever m and force said lever into the position shown in Fig. 2. This operation will turn the spring. drum or roller d one step, and the s ring drum or roller c willbe turned one step by the strip or sheet i and the name of the cross street that the car is approaching will be shown on the s ring drum or roller c through the opening b2 1n theinner end of the ibox or kcase b 1n such position as to enable it to be read by anyone in the car, and this operation will be repeated at each street crossing, or just after leavingsaid crossing,

. or the hangers p3 may be located at any de.

sired point between the cross streets so as to indicate the next cross street when the car passes under said hanger. The pawls and y2 are intended to prevent any sudden ackward movement of the spring drums or rollers c and e, and when the car is going in the direction indicated by the arrow y in Fig. 1, the pawl i2 will be in operation in connection with the spring drum or roller d as shown in Fig. 2, but when the car is moving in the opposite direction the pawl y' will be in operation in connection with the spring drum or roller c. I

It will also be understood that when the car reaches the end of the line and starts back on another track without being turned around and is moving in the direction of the arrow y' in' Fig. 1, the lever n is operated,

ed member n2 thereof will be oiperatedso as to turn the disk or Wheel h, an by means of the. pulleys ha and f3 and the belt h4 the-v step 1n the same direction by the strip or sheet i, and the name of the cross street which the car is lapproaching 4-will be shown through the opening l5'5 in the inner end of the 'box or case b so that it'may be read by any person or 4 ersons in the car. The arm o is also inten( ed to regulate the movement of the spring drums or rollers c and d and particularly the movement of the spring drum or roller c, especially in case of any sudden jerk, vor jolt, or jar'of the car, or a quick movement thereof when passing under the and one w .hanger or hangers p3; but this arm is not absolutely necessary and may o'r may not be em loyed. a

he ,object of the spring orA springs d5'in the spring drums or ro lers c and dis to keep the strip or sheet (i wound taut at .all timeson said spring drums or rollers, and `it will-also be apparent that these springs may be dispensed with under certain conditions, or in other words they are not an absolutely essential feature of my invention, andthe same object may be accomplished by other means.

It will be understood that the pivoted pawls or members m2 and 'n2 on the levers m and n swing freely over the pins g2 and h5 on the disks g and h when` the levers m and n. move in one direction, but .enga e said pins' when saidy levers are moved in t e opposite direction in order to turn the spring drum or roller d or the diskV 7L as hereinbefore scribed.

AlthoughV I have shown and described my device aplplied to what is known as an over-v head tro i ey tramway system, `it will be apparent that my invention is not limited to a tramway system of this class. It will thus be seen that by means of my improvement I provide a simple and effective device or a paratus for the purpose specified, lfich may be conveniently applied and operated.

AMy invention is not limited to the `particular details and construction shown and described, and various chan es therein, and

modifications thereofmay e made,'. within vice or apparatus as particularly designed.

for use in tramway cars in cities, and for visually signaling the numbers or names of the crossstreets, it will be apparent that the time-.that said car passes under one of the hangers p3, the lever n and pawl or pivotpins of the I claim as .new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1 In an apparatus of the class described, a casing, two rollers mounted therein, said rollers being composed of central stationary parts, and drums mounted thereon, and between which are placed oppositely operating tension devices, saiddrums being adapted to rotate on the central stationary parts, ratchets and pins carried by said drums, a disk loosely mounted on an end extension of one of said stationary parts, said disk being geared in connection with the opposite drum, pawls 'operating in connectiony with said ratchets, said disk being also provided with spaced pins, and devices operating in connection with the pins on one of said drums and with the pins on saiddisk to rotate both of said rollers.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

4a casing, rollers mounted therein, opposed ratchets and spaced pins carried by said rollL ers, a disk loosely mounted adjacent to .one

of said rollers and geared in connection with the other of said. rollers, spaced pins carried by said disk, a liexible sheet mountedon said rollers, means kco-acting with thepins of one drum to operate the sheet in one direction, means co-acting with the pins of the disk to operate the lsheet in the opposite direction and a retarding device operating in connection with the pins. of one of said rollers.

3. In a street signal apparatus for cars, a casing, parallel lstationary shafts mounted in said casmg,frollers mounted on said shafts, a

flexible sheet wound on said rollers, a disk` mounted Ion one of said shafts, pins carried by one of said rollers and by said disk, means 4operatin-g in connection with the pins of said roller to give said roller a step by step rotation when the car is going in one direction and means operatmg 1n connection with the pins of the disk to give said disk a step by step rotation when the car is going in the opposite direction, said disk being geared 1n connection with theo posite roller` 4. In a street signa apparatus for cars, a

- casing parallel stationary shafts mounted in said caslng, rollers mounted on said shafts, a flexible sheet Wound on said rollers, a disk mounted on one offsaid shafts, pins carried by one of said rollers and by said disk, means operating in connection with the pins of said roller to give said roller a step by step rotal tion When the car is going in one, direction and means o erating in connection with the isk to ive said disk a step by step rotation when tIi posite direction, said disk being geared 1n connection with the opposite roller, spaced 'pins on said op osite roller and a retarding device mounte adjacent to the last named e car is going in the op-V roller and adapted to operate in connection means oofacting with the pins of the disk to with said pins. move thesheet in the opposite direction.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as a casing, rollers mounted therein, opposed my inVentionIhave signed my name in presl5 ratchets and spaced pins carried by said rollence of the subscribing Witnesses this 26th ers, a disk loosely mounted adjaeentto one day of June 1907. of said rollers and geared in connection with the other of said rollers, spaced-pins carried NEWELL G' AUGIR' by said disk, a flexible sheet mounted on said l Witnesses: 10 rollers, means (3o-acting with the pins of one C. E. MULREANY,

`drum to move the sheet in one direction, and l A. WORDEN GIBBs. 

